"[S]uccess in allied ventures can be achieved if the chief figures in the government and in the field see the necessities of the situation and refuse to violate the basic principle of unity, either in public or in the confidence of the personal contacts with subordinates and staffs. Immediate and continuous loyalty to the concept of unity and to allied commanders is basic to victory."
- Dwight Eisenhower

Tax competition is very, very realSome residents of a village in England are so envious of some of the benefits of living in neighboring Wales that they're holding an unofficial vote to leave England and join Wales. While they're not really serious about breaking away, they are serious about making the point that they think government works better in Wales than in England. And that's an example of the value of competition among neighboring governments. It happens on the national level, the state level, the county level, and the city level -- and it's a good thing for taxpayers, since it helps ensure that they get the quality of services that they expect for what they're willing to pay. In fact, the value of tax competition alone is enough to make one skeptical of any plans for city-county mergers -- which, by their very nature, erode the quality of tax competition among neighboring communities by taking away their independent identities.